Conflict and Peace

Note: This and the previous writing should be considered in tandem.

For more than three decades, I was privileged to teach an array of courses in which the subjects of war, peace, and diplomacy were integral topics. The struggle between the alternatives of war and peace is almost as old as written history itself. The art of diplomacy entered as a player in this competition with the rise of the nation-state system in early modern times and in its traditional form was successful in maintaining the peace on many occasions. Now early in the twenty-first century, noteworthy diplomatic successes are apparently on the wane, and the increased insecurity among the nation-states is resulting in a world experiencing heightened tensions and growing incidents of conflict and war.

This situation is consistent with scriptural prophecies pertaining to the last days. Consider one: “And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved” (Matthew 24:6-13).

We live in that day as prophesied when nations and kingdoms have risen against their enemies to such an extent that wars in differing forms are being waged in every major portion of our world. Wars based on legal declarations are seemingly a thing of the past. Rarely does a nation or smaller political entity involved in a conflict today admit to being the aggressor. It is apparently more politically justifiable and morally satisfying for a nation or party to claim that it is fighting from a defensive stance. Of course, the opposition is portraying a similar position to its citizens and to the world community in the hopes of gaining domestic and international support for its cause. Almost always, not being branded the aggressive party is the intent of this ruse.

The Lord’s expressed will to His prophets both in Book of Mormon and in modern times is that offensive war or aggression is unjustifiable before Him. The armies of Alma and Moroni were taught God’s will that “[i]nasmuch as ye are not guilty of the first offense, neither the second, ye shall not suffer yourselves to be slain by the hands of your enemies” (Alma 43:46). Thus they were justified in defending their families, lands, country, rights and religion (Alma 43:47) but were “never to give an offense, yea, and never to raise the sword except it were against an enemy, except it were to preserve their lives” (Alma 48:14). For a time, the Prophet Mormon refused to command the Nephite army because of its firmness of determination to take aggressive action against its enemy, the Lamanites (Mormon 3:9-11). The Saints in Missouri were unsuccessful in establishing Zion because of their disobedience to God’s will, and so they brought down upon their heads the wrath of God. Their response to the resulting persecution by their enemies was to begin looking for opportunities to retaliate. The Lord’s counsel to them was to “renounce war and proclaim peace” (Doctrine and Covenants 98:16). Not many verses later, the Lord outlined the very limited conditions upon which even defensive action has been justifiable to Him historically (D&C 98:32-38).

There is no national government in the world today that is seeking to do the will of the one true God in fact, and that does not bode well for the membership of His world-wide Church. We are no longer a relatively small band of Saints taking shelter from the abuses of our government in the shadows of the Wasatch Mountains. Our members are to be found in ever-increasing numbers in nations across the face of the earth. As more and more governments stray further and further from the principles of the gospel and God’s will as to the proper relationships that should exist among His children, the disparity in actions and beliefs between the righteous and the unrighteous will become more and more difficult for the righteous to reconcile. For as the Lord told the Saints who failed in Missouri, “when the wicked rule the people mourn” (D&C 98:9).

Looking to the last days, the Lord told His disciples in the Holy Land that some future Saints would be afflicted and killed by their enemies (Matthew 24:9). Thousands of Saints who lived earlier in this dispensation suffered those fates. We may take heart that most of our membership appears to be at least tolerated if not accepted or possibly even well received by their neighbors today, but what does the future hold for us, His Saints, given that we live in such desperately varied social, economic, and political circumstances scattered as we are as a minority among the world’s national and tribal populations?

Given the increasing wickedness upon the earth, we have little hope in the long run that the governments of the world will switch courses on their own and begin adhering to God’s will for His children. We must prepare ourselves as best we can for whatever trouble may come our way. Consistent with these circumstances, we ought to pray for patience in dealing with those who would do us personal harm. When the Saints in Missouri failed to establish Zion as they were commanded to do, the Lord explained why they were persecuted. They had not followed the Lord’s commandments and their leaders’ directions. Therefore, they were not worthy of His protection (D&C 101:1-8). In times ahead when worsening conditions may become more prevalent and some members of His Church may find themselves under personal duress, we may hope that they will have taken to heart the experiences of the Saints who lived in the Americas during Book of Mormon times as well as those who lived in nineteenth-century Missouri. God expects us to place our trust in Him and not upon an arm of flesh (2 Nephi 4:34).

There is no reason to hope that peace will reign generally on this earth at any future time until the wicked are destroyed at the Lord’s coming as He ushers in the Millennium. But we Saints should understand that peace is possible now within ourselves as well as within our families and the expanding Kingdom of God. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the gospel of peace. Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27).

Why The Book of Mormon?

Note: This writing and the one to follow should be considered in tandem.

The purposes of the Book of Mormon set forth on its title page were written by the Prophet Moroni. An incomplete listing of these purposes might include the following: First, to inform the Lamanites living in our generation that they are a “remnant of the house of Israel.” Second, to convince both Jews and Gentiles in the last days that “Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God.” Third, to affirm that the Savior “manifest[s] himself unto all nations.” And fourth, to remind the descendants of the House of Israel living in this era of the promises made to “their fathers.” An additional purpose that may be assumed from those given is that the Book of Mormon would serve as a second witness for Christ along side of the Bible. It is obvious that all of these purposes apply to our day or dispensation.

After some involvement with it, a reader of the Book of Mormon should begin to understand that the major intent of its contributors was not to write for their contemporaries or even for those of their dispensation. Their words did not appear in some serialized format in weekly or monthly publications of the day. Even the content of an entire book, for example the Book of Mosiah or the Book of Ether, was apparently not available for study and discussion by the general membership at anytime during the period covered by the Book of Mormon. So it appears that God’s overriding purpose in the production of what would become known as the Book of Mormon was to provide us in this last generation with an integral resource to assist us in the building of His Kingdom. From these writings, we are to gain insight into the successful and unsuccessful ways of those ancient peoples in order that we might avoid making some of their mistakes and be encouraged by their achievements. Of course, what has been said here is not intended to communicate that important leaders of the Lord’s work in Book of Mormon times were unaware of the writings of their predecessors. However, the sacred writings being passed from generation to generation were apparently not publicly broadcast to the people at large.

God’s intent that the writings of the Book of Mormon would be used primarily by those of the latter days is manifest, for example, in the writings of the Prophet Nephi. If we consider chapters twenty-eight through thirty of 2 Nephi, we have a mixture of God’s revealed word to Nephi as well as Nephi’s teachings to his people, all of which confirm many of God’s purposes for this book. “And the things which shall be written out of the book [the Book of Mormon] shall be of great worth unto the children of men, and especially unto our seed, which is a remnant of the house of Israel” (2 Nephi 28:2). The chapter setting for this verse is the latter-days. “But behold, there shall be many--at that day when I shall proceed to do a marvelous work among them, that I may remember my covenants which I have made unto the children of men, that I may set my hand again the second time to recover my people, which are of the house of Israel; And also that I may remember the promises which I have made unto thee, Nephi, and also unto thy father, that I would remember your seed; and that the words of your seed should proceed forth out of my mouth unto your seed; and my words shall hiss forth unto the ends of the earth, for a standard unto my people, which are of the house of Israel; . . .” (2 Nephi 29:1-2). And lastly, “For behold, I say unto you that as many of the Gentiles as will repent are the covenant people of the Lord; and as many of the Jews as will not repent shall be cast off; for the Lord covenanteth with none save it be with them that repent and believe in his Son, who is the Holy One of Israel” (2 Nephi 30:2). This last quote refers to the last days when the gospel will be taken first to the Gentiles and then to the Jews.

In this dispensation of the fulness of times, God has set about to establish His Kingdom for the last time as a necessary preparation for the triumphal return of His Son to rule and reign upon the earth in glory. The establishment of His Kingdom requires the restitution of all things priesthood related that have been revealed since the days of Adam. It necessitates the final gathering of the House of Israel. God understood that the agents of Satan would abuse the holy writings of many of the ancient prophets as well as the writings of the apostles and the leadership of the Church in the meridian of time in a futile attempt to subvert His work in this most important generation. The Saints of this dispensation must succeed, and succeed we will if we are but true to God’s directions given both in ancient and in modern times. An integral part of this heavenly assistance comes in the form of the Book of Mormon that strengthens the workers in the Kingdom as outlined in its purposes. Very importantly, from this book comes much wisdom from the ancients as to the blessings that flow to God’s chosen people when they are obedient to His commands as well as the consequences that follow if His directions are rejected.

Temple Work is at the Center of the Gospel

After enduring three years of persecution following his vision in the grove and having committed many follies attributable to his youth during this same period, Joseph Smith retired to his bed during the evening of September 21, 1823 and prayed for forgiveness of his sins and for a confirmation of his standing with God, fully expecting an answer. The confirmation he awaited came in the form of a messenger from God who introduced himself as Moroni. Moroni’s teachings were important enough that he delivered his message to the wondering youth four times in a single day. How often do we rehearse his message during our own personal gospel study?

A portion of the angel’s message to the young Joseph consisted of a recitation of various scripture verses from the Old and the New Testaments. Only a portion of the third chapter of Malachi was quoted, but it is not hard to guess at least some of the verses that were quoted given that they deal with events in the latter days. The fourth chapter of Malachi was quoted in its entirety. However, interesting changes were made to the first, fifth, and sixth verses.

Moroni quoted the first verse as follows: “For behold, the day cometh that shall burn as an oven, and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly shall burn as stubble; for they that come shall burn them, saith the Lord of Hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch” (Joseph Smith - History 1:37). The words that they shall be left with neither “root nor branch” is not only interesting language but a confirmation of revealed truth in this dispensation. Having rejected the gospel of Jesus Christ and the sealing authority of the priesthood, the wicked will have in the eternities neither ancestors, that is “roots,” nor descendants, that is “branches,” since they will have no part in the patriarchal order.

The fifth and sixth verses of Malachi were quoted by Moroni as follows: “Behold, I will reveal unto you the Priesthood, by the hand of Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers. If it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming” (Joseph Smith - History 1:38-39). The “promises made to the fathers” referred to by Malachi are, said Paul in the third chapter of his epistle to the Galatians, the elements of the Abrahamic covenant. We may read for ourselves the particulars of the covenant that God made with Abraham and subsequently with Isaac and with jacob in the book of Abraham 2: 8-11.

However, it should be obvious that the cleansing of the earth’s inhabitants will not be complete, as God had warned that it could be, given the work of legions of “saviors on mount Zion” (Obadiah 1:21) in the form of temple ordinance workers and temple patrons in this dispensation. Also important to this work are the many thousands of members and non-members of this Church who are gathering their family’s genealogy and family history as a result of the workings of the spirit of Elijah.

Moroni told the young Joseph that the events referred to in the eleventh chapter of Isaiah were about to be fulfilled. Let us consider briefly verses one and ten. “And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots.” From the Doctrine and Covenants Section 113, we understand that the “stem of Jesse” is Jesus Christ. The rod is Joseph Smith, and the rod will become a branch. Now verse ten: “And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.” Again, according to Section 113, the “root of Jesse” is Joseph Smith and the remainder of the verse concerns the Lord’s Church which he would establish anew. We may only guess at the wonder and amazement the Prophet Joseph Smith must have experienced as he learned of the Old Testament prophecies concerning his earthly mission.

From the book of Joel, Moroni quoted the final five verses of chapter 2 with reference to the rise of the Lord’s Church, the restoration of the gospel, and other important events of the latter-days.

In his History, the Prophet Joseph Smith relates that Moroni’s quoting of these important and telling scriptures was but part of the message he received four times over. Concerning the total experience, he writes, “By this time, so deep were the impressions made on my mind, that sleep had fled from my eyes, and I lay overwhelmed in astonishment at what I had both seen and heard” (Joseph Smith - History 1:46).

The spirit of Elijah is a very powerful force for good in the world today. Temple work which is the end goal of this spirit is working not only to save souls but also to hold back the forces of evil that otherwise would have a freer hand in their attempt to engulf the world’s inhabitants. To the extent that we are involved somehow in this great work, we will enjoy the excitement that comes from research successes, the feelings of accomplishment that come from the realization of temple ordinances completed, and the inexpressible joy that we will have as we receive expressions of gratitude from our ancestors and others when eventually we meet.

Do Latter-day Saints Believe in a Hell?

Do Latter-day Saints believe in a hell? Most definitely. Indeed, we believe a hell will exist in two identifiably different states or conditions. Lucifer and his minions have been cast out into the earth to tempt and torment humankind. Those who fall prey to the devil and work evil during their sojourn on the earth will be turned over to the buffetings of Satan beginning at death. However, like David, their souls will not be kept in hell forever. They will come forth from the grave at some stage of the millennium participating in a resurrection and being assigned to some degree of glory. As for Lucifer, a hell, a realm of not-glory, awaits him, his minions, and the sons of perdition, wherein they will be cast and exist for the eternities.

To me the clearest statement attesting to the existence of these two hells namely, the conditions of the one hell being temporary and the conditions of the other being permanent, is the statement David uttered upon finding himself consigned to hell for his, David’s, role in the murder of Uriah. “Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope. For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; . . . “ (Psalms 16:9-10; see also Acts 2:25-27, 31). David’s condition is illustrative of those of God’s spirit children who will eventually inherit the Telestial Kingdom. “These are they who are thrust down to hell. These are they who shall not be redeemed from the devil until the last resurrection, until the Lord, even Christ the Lamb, shall have finished his work. These are they who are cast down to hell and suffer the wrath of Almighty God, until the fulness of times, when Christ shall have subdued all enemies under his feet, and shall have perfected his work; . . . “ (D&C 76:84-85, 106).

The Prophet Jacob speaking on this subject somewhat more broadly confirms the point while discoursing on the power of Christ’s atonement. “And this death of which I have spoken, which is the spiritual death, shall deliver up its dead; which spiritual death is hell; wherefore, death and hell must deliver up their dead, and hell must deliver up its captive spirits, and the grave must deliver up its captive bodies, and the bodies and the spirits of men will be restored one to the other; and it is by the power of the resurrection of the Holy One of Israel” (2 Nephi 9:10-12). There is scriptural evidence that to some degree this will be also the lot of members of Christ’s Church who are judged to be not valiant in living the gospel before they are resurrected to inherit the Terrestrial Kingdom (D&C 76:79). “Wherefore, a commandment I give unto you, to prepare and organize yourselves by a bond or everlasting covenant [the gospel of Jesus Christ] that cannot be broken. And he who breaketh it shall lose his office and standing in the church, and shall be delivered over to the buffetings of Satan until the day of redemption (D&C 78:11-12).

When Lucifer rebelled against Our Father’s plan pertaining to the creation and populating of this earth, he and his adherents were “ . . . thrust down and thus [be]came the devil and his angels; And, behold, there is a place prepared for them from the beginning, which place is hell” (D&C 29:37-38). The hell spoken of here is the eventual and permanent abode of Satan, his minions, and those judged to be sons of perdition. For now, Satan and his angels have been turned loose on the earth to tempt God’s spirit children thus providing the necessary opposition to the gospel plan in order that as Abraham said, the Lord may determine if we “ . . . will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them; . . .” (Abraham 3:25). As stated earlier, those who are not valiant in keeping their gospel covenants and those who work wickedness during their lifetime will be within Satan’s power during the time they are in spirit prison following their death. Thus after death, the righteous will experience peace and rest in Paradise, and the wicked will be in torment.

Some confusion may occur in a reader’s mind as to which of these hells certain of The Book of Mormon prophets have reference when they write of “everlasting hell” (Helaman 6:28) and “endless hell” (Moroni 8:13). The Lord clarified this point to the Prophet Joseph Smith in March, 1830. The use of these adjectives has reference to “Endless” being one of God’s names. Therefore, “Eternal punishment is God’s punishment. Endless punishment is God’s punishment” (D&C 19:11-12). The references then are to that hell which will have an end no later than the end of the Millennium. However, it is this writer’s opinion that while those who will eventually inherit a degree of glory for the eternities will be free of the buffetings of Satan in those spheres, they will still be enduring “endless punishment” to the extent that they will never be able to return to the presence of their Father in Heaven “worlds without end” (D&C 76:112).

The Ordinances of Baptism and Confirmation

In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the ordinance of baptism is performed by immersion, and the ordinance of confirmation is performed by the laying on of hands for the bestowal of the Gift of the Holy Ghost. Both of these ordinances are required for admission into Church membership or, in other words, entrance into the Kingdom of God on the earth. Interestingly, these most basic of ordinances are at times misunderstood in their particulars by members of the Church as is also their proper relationship one to another often misunderstood. These two common errors are the subject of this writing.

After attending baptismal services for a major portion of my life, it is clear that a general pattern for these events exists. Typically, talks are given on the meaning or purposes of the ordinances of baptism and confirmation. A speaker addresses the subject of baptism. It is assumed that the remarks will conclude that if the candidate for baptism is properly prepared to receive this ordinance having submitted themselves to the steps of repentance, their sins will be washed away through baptism by immersion. This ordinance allows them to leave the font forgiven of their sins and with an opportunity to begin a new life. A speaker then addresses the subject of confirmation by outlining how by the laying on of hands the candidate for membership in the Church will receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost meaning, the new member will have the companionship of the Holy Ghost in their life as long as they are living worthily.

Thus the speakers tend to neatly bundle the importances of these two ordinances into two separate packages. By means of a proper baptism, we are forgiven of our sins, and by the laying on of hands, we receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost to direct and enlighten us in our forward journey through life. If the speakers take this approach, a gospel error is taught to those present which has the effect of reinforcing a mistaken notion already accepted by many. The words of the Prophet Nephi are instructive here. “Wherefore, do the things which I have told you I have seen that your Lord and your Redeemer should do; for, for this cause have they been shown unto me, that ye might know the gate by which ye should enter. For the gate by which ye should enter is repentance and baptism by water; and then cometh a remission of your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost. And then are ye in this strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life; . . .” (2 Nephi 31:16-18).

These two ordinances may not be separately bundled for they are unobstructively bound one to another. If forgiveness of sins is to be realized upon entrance into the Kingdom, it will be because an efficacious confirmation followed an efficacious baptism, and the sins were blotted out through the baptisms of both water and fire. So it is, the ordinance of confirmation is required for the forgiveness of sins as well as the receipt of the Gift of the Holy Ghost.

The other common error of perception concerns the notion that baptism is more important than the ordinance of confirmation. While the sources of this misperception must be numerous, possible reinforcement of this mistaken idea may be received in our temples. Young Aaronic Priesthood holders and the young women of corresponding ages as well as adults who have been members of the Church less than one year are encouraged to go to the temple as proxies to participate in the ordinances of baptism and confirmation on behalf of our kindred dead. The font area of a temple baptistry is large and imposing. A font of generous size rests on the backs of twelve oxen that represent the twelve tribes of the House of Israel. There is a viewing area for patrons and observers. There are places designated for the officiator and the two witnesses to perform their duties. There is room to spare for others to work who assist the bothers and sisters entering and exiting the font. These font rooms are tastefully decorated. The rooms in which the confirmation ordinance is performed are small and austere by comparison. Ten persons in such a room would constitute generally a crowd. From the sheer visual impact or lack thereof, it is possible to improperly perceived that the baptism ordinance is of greater importance than the ordinance of confirmation.

But this is clearly not the case according to the gospel. If either one of the two ordinances being performed for a single individual is deemed to be invalid, then both of the ordinances are worthless. The Apostle Paul understood this principle clearly. “ . . . Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John’s baptism. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied” (Acts 19:1-6).

Given the interrelatedness of these two ordinances, it would be well for us, Latter-day Saints, to more carefully recognize this relationship as we teach and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ in every setting. For both of these initial ordinances must be performed properly if they together are to be honored in the world to come, and so it necessarily follows that neither one of them is inherently more important than the other.

The Hope of Israel

More than a year before the Church was organized in this dispensation, the Lord told the Prophet’s father “behold the field is white already to harvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul; And faith, hope, charity and love, with an eye single to the glory of God, qualify him for the work” (D&C 4:4-5). Four months later, the Lord told the Prophet, Oliver Cowdery, and David Whitmer that if they did not have “faith, hope, and charity,” they could do “nothing” (D&C 18:19). And Alma, looking to the future in hope to the coming of the Savior in the flesh taught the importance of faith, hope, and charity (Alma 7:23-24).

It has been my experience, that speakers and writers in the Church are more prone to address the subjects of faith and charity, leaving hope a distant third. For this reason, hope, more specifically, the “Hope of Israel,” is the subject of this writing. The first verse of our hymn by the same name reads, “Hope of Israel, Zion’s army, Children of the promised day, See, the Chieftain signals onward, And the battle’s in array! Hope of Israel, rise in might With the sword of truth and right; Sound the war cry, ‘Watch and pray!’ Vanquish every foe today” (Hymns #259).

Hope plays a unique dual role in our gospel progression. Without hope, we cannot have faith. Without faith, we cannot have hope sufficient to receive eternal life. Hope and faith are uniquely bound to one another, and in a real sense, this union possesses the power to effect two rather different results.

Allow me to rephrase that idea. Faith is a gatekeeper to the Kingdom of God. Without faith, we cannot repent so as to make our baptism and our confirmation efficacious. These initial ordinances are required in order to place our feet upon the path to eternal life. Thus faith, repentance, baptism, and confirmation are the gatekeepers of the Kingdom of God, and we cannot satisfy the first of these namely, faith, if we do not have sufficient hope. However, once our feet are upon the path to eternal life, we cannot obtain that prize without hope.

This unique dual role of hope is confirmed in our scriptures. The prophet Mormon expounded on this relationship thusly, “And again, my beloved brethren, I would speak unto you concerning hope. How is it that ye can attain unto faith, save ye shall have hope? And what is it that ye shall hope for? Behold I say unto you that ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal, and this because of your faith in him according to the promise. Wherefore, if a man have faith he must needs have hope; for without faith there cannot be any hope” (Moroni 7:40-42). And the prophet Nephi taught, “And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path, I would ask if all is done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save. Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life” (2 Nephi 31:19-20).

The hope of which we speak is powerful and capable of producing substantive results. Hope is the means by which the House of Israel has and does now carry on the struggle against evil, and by which means the evil one and his followers will eventually be conquered. Hope is that of which we sing. It is that with which we look to the time when Christ will usher in the Millennium and reign personally upon this earth. Hope is that with which the prophets of old looked to the future, as do we.

It was Paul who enumerated the acts of faith demonstrated by Abel, Enoch Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Sara and then concluded, “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city” (See Hebrews 11:8-16).